A sunny and hot summer day and a blue water backdrop was the scene of the wedding of Bride N. and Groom R. (The sand on Cowell's Beach was so hot that my feet needed to dip into the ocean before the ceremony began.) This cerebral couple met at UC Merced graduate school and made Santa Cruz their destination wedding location. Chairs and an arch were set up on the sand (through the Dream Inn) for this small gathering of family. Sweet Bride N. made her way down the damp sand, through the beach-goers, over to the ceremony spot (she's smart not to walk across the blazing hot beach like I did) where Groom R. and yours truly waited.My mini, portable P.A. system added just enough volume to my words so as to be able to be heard by the guests over the crashing waves.I ended up dropping the groom's ring in the sand, but we had a quick treasure hunt and located it quickly. The couple were so easy-going that they didn't get flustered, they had the Santa Cruz vibe.